This invention relates to a bag particularly intended to protect one or both of the hardtops of a coupe top automobile or vehicle when those hardtops are not in use. As any coupe top automobile enthusiast will attest, a coupe top automobile (xe2x80x9ccoupexe2x80x9d) or other sports car owner who purchases a vehicle equipped with a removable hardtop typically does not intend to keep the hardtop installed on the vehicle year-round. Upon bringing a new coupe home, the owner will likely be inclined to remove the hardtop as soon as possible and take the vehicle out for a long, breezy test drive. Unfortunately, once removed from the vehicle, the unwieldy hardtop must be stored.
While many coupes include an interior storage compartment, the compartment typically only accommodates one hardtop, and offers no protection to the hardtop from scratches, dents and other damage caused by other objects simultaneously stored within the compartment. Furthermore, some coupes come equipped with both a glass hardtop and a hardtop made of metal or some other opaque substance. Even if there is room inside the compartment for both of the hardtops, they usually cannot be stored together because the surface of the opaque hardtop will likely become scratched, or the glass hardtop will bump the opaque hardtop while the automobile is being driven, and either crack or completely shatter. Under such circumstances, an owner wishing to drive the coupe without using a hardtop must store one of the hardtops in the storage compartment of the coupe and place the other hardtop in an alternate location away from the vehicle. More often than not, the xe2x80x9calternate locationxe2x80x9d is a high-traffic area such as a garage, where the hardtop is subjected to an increased risk of being damaged.
The invention of the present application addresses the problem of how to effectively store two hardtops simultaneously by providing a protective bag having dual storage compartments. The protective bag may be adapted for use in any coupe top automobile or other vehicle having one or more removable hardtops. The invention uses commonly available materials and components which may be easily and inexpensively manufactured and supplied to the user in many different forms, resulting in a protective bag adapted for being securely anchored within the interior storage compartment of a coupe top automobile or used to store hardtops in an alternate location outside of the automobile. The bag takes advantage of padded dual compartments made of multi-layered, durable material to provide a unique alternative to coupe top vehicle owners who desire multiple options for safely and securely storing removable hardtops.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a bag for protecting and storing one or both hardtops of a coupe top vehicle, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the hardtops.
It is another object of the invention to provide a bag which is inexpensive and easy to manufacture from commonly available components.
It is another object of the invention to provide a bag which may be easily removed from the interior storage compartment of a vehicle while the hardtops are stored therein and then moved to an alternate storage location outside of the vehicle.
It is another object of the invention to provide a bag specifically designed to address the unique hardtop storage needs of coupe top automobile owners.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in the preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing a multi-compartment bag assembly for protecting and storing one or both hardtops of a coupe top automobile. The bag includes a first bag compartment defined by an overlying first outside compartment wall and an inside compartment wall joined along respective bottom and opposing side edges. The first bag compartment has a first top lateral opening adapted for receiving at least one of the hardtops therein. A second bag compartment is defined by the inside compartment wall and a second outside compartment wall, the inside compartment wall and the second outside compartment wall being joined along respective bottom and side edges. The second bag compartment includes a second top lateral opening adapted for receiving at least one of the hardtops therein.
According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the bag assembly further includes a first closure flap integrally formed with the inside compartment wall adjacent the first top lateral opening and extending outwardly therefrom between the side edges. The first closure flap includes an inner face adapted for releasably engaging an outer surface of the first outside compartment wall adjacent the first top lateral opening for retaining one of the hardtops within the first bag compartment.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the bag assembly further includes a second closure flap integrally formed with the second outside compartment wall adjacent the second top lateral opening. The second closure flap extends outwardly from the second top lateral opening between the side edges and includes an inner face adapted for releasably engaging an outer surface of the inside compartment wall adjacent the second top lateral opening for retaining one of the hardtops within the second bag compartment.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, complementary fasteners are attached to the inner surface of the first closure flap and the outer surface of the first outside compartment wall for releasably engaging the inner surface of the first closure flap with the outer surface of the first outside compartment wall.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, complementary fasteners are attached to the inner surface of the second closure flap and the outer surface of the inside compartment wall for releasably engaging the inner surface of the second closure flap with the outer surface of the inside compartment wall.
The complementary fasteners preferably comprise patches of hook-and-loop material.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the inside compartment wall defines a first pair of spaced-apart holes adjacent the bottom edge, and the second outside compartment wall defines second pair of spaced-apart holes adjacent the second closure flap. Each of the holes is adapted for receiving a respective one of the floor mounts of the automobile therethrough for securing the bag within an interior storage area of the automobile.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the first bag compartment is offset from the second bag compartment, thereby offsetting the respective first and second lateral openings for permitting both of the hardtops of the automobile to be received in a respective one of the first and second bag compartments for being simultaneously stored within the interior storage area of the automobile.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the inside compartment wall, the first and second closure flaps, and the first and second outside compartment walls each comprise a flexible sheet of multi-layered, durable material.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the durable material is fabricated of an outer leather layer, an inner felt layer, and a protective flexible foam layer positioned between the outer leather layer and the inner felt layer for cushioning the hardtops stored within the first and second bag compartments.